Polo GTI High Oil Usage - Discussion Thread

[RoknRob]

After 3,500km, I decided I better check the level. To my surprise, only 0.5 litres. Maybe I'm lucky or the high revs when new has something to do with it.

I did the high rev thing when I first received my car, and still have been losing about 1L/2000km, so it is no guarantee.

[Gambit]

Agree with gavs, when I did my first oil change at 5k kms myself the oil was disgusting! So glad I changed it.

[Awetan]

I agrees with the non-linear oil sipping habit of our GTi.
From 0-7500km the oil light only comes up around 7400km mark. After the service the oil problem got worse, down to 1L per 1000km, some times even less. I have been going back to the dealership for top up almost 7 times now up to 15k km.

Did the oil consumption test and VW agrees to change the piston rings. I hope this would fix the big appetite of the GTi.

[BENN0]

Oil light came on last night at 3100kms. Dipstick was dry. It took 1L of oil to get it back to nominal.
What a joke! LS1's copped a hammering for going through waaay less oil than this back in the late 90's.
If the consumption continues like this, it will be interesting to see VW's response.

[gavs]

Oil light came on last night at 3100kms. Dipstick was dry. It took 1L of oil to get it back to nominal.
What a joke! LS1's copped a hammering for going through waaay less oil than this back in the late 90's.
If the consumption continues like this, it will be interesting to see VW's response.

They already have responded by saying there is no issue, this is what it is like dealing with VW and even with contacting media outlets, nothing has happened. Welcome to VW ownership, they would rather screw their current customers than issue a recall notice that might affect the gain of potential new customers and the associated bad PR.

[brad]

The owners manual recomends that during the initial ownership period you check the oil every 500km or "whenever you fill up with fuel" (which is pretty stupid as the reading will be artificially low due to slow drainback). So in 3100km you probably should have checked your oil 3 or 4 times. Did it only drop the 1 litre in the last 1000km or has it been gradual over the 3100km?

Oil usage isn't unusual during break-in & on cars like these, break-in is anywhere between 5,000-15,000km. Subarus, Alfas & a few others are just as drawn out.

Re: LS1s. Wasn't one of Holdens "fixes" to change the markings on the dipstick & increase the refill capacity from 5L to 6L? I believe this then caused some windage issues which dropped HP & increased fuel consumption. They also advised owners to "give the car a bit more right foot" during the first 5000km.

[alias_vw]

They also advised owners to "give the car a bit more right foot" during the first 5000km.

By which they meant you should kick it.

[pologti18t]

Welcome to VW ownership, they would rather screw their current customers than issue a recall notice that might affect the gain of potential new customers and the associated bad PR.

An exactly what would the recall involve? You would have to do oil consumption tests on EVERY Polo GTI (and Ibiza and skoda VRS) over a significant time period to determine which engines it affects. Otherwise the only why to perform the recall is to apply whatever fix they use on every single car produced with that engine.

If owners have a half a brain and actually do what the owners manual tells them to (check the oil!) then they should bring up the heavy oil usage up with the dealer where it will be dealt with.

[Transporter]

If owners have a half a brain and actually do what the owners manual tells them to (check the oil!) then they should bring up the heavy oil usage up with the dealer where it will be dealt with.

Nooo, that would be too hard, almost impossible for some. It is much easier to complain about it over the internet.


Sent from my Galaxy Tab using Tapatalk.

[VW Convert]

Nooo, that would be too hard, almost impossible for some. It is much easier to complain about it over the internet.


Sent from my Galaxy Tab using Tapatalk.

Agreed!
I can't believe the number of people posting that they drive until the oil light comes on! Given that oil consumption in new engines is common (and has been as long as I've been driving cars) I'm staggered that owners are not checking oil levels regularly. Don't owners care about their new cars any more?